Solids discharge centrifuge

Claim 1

A CENTRIFUGE COMPRISING: (A) A ROTOR MOUNTED TO ROTATE ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS AND HAVING A PAIR OF END WALLS AND AN IMPERFORATE PERIPHERAL SHELL WITH A PORTION TAPERING INWARDLY TOWARD ONE END, THE SHELL BEING SECURED BETWEEN THE END WALLS, THE ROTOR HAVING A SOLIDS DISCHARGE PORT AT THE SAID END, THE END WALL AT THE SAID END HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING, THE OTHER END, OF THE ROTOR HAVING A LIQUID DISCHARGE PORT INWARD FROM THE SHELL BUT AT A RADIUS GREATER THAN THE SOLIDS DISCHARGE PORT, THE SAID END WALL AND THE SHELL MEETING AT AN INNER JUNCTURE, THE INNER JUNCTION BEING RADIALLY INWARD FROM THE LIQUID DISCHARGE PORT, THE OTHER END WALL AND THE SHELL MEETING AT AN OUTER JUNCTION, THE OUTER JUNCTURE BEING RADIALLY OUTWARD FROM THE LIQUID DISCHARGE PORT, (B) A CONVEYOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTED WITHIN THE ROTOR, THE CONVEYOR HAVING A BODY PORTION AND A HELICAL EDGE PORTION SUPPORTED BY THE BODY PORTION, THE HELICAL EDGE PORTION BEING CLOSELY ADJACENT THE SHELL AND ADAPTED IN ROTATING TO MOVE SOLIDS TOWARD THE SOLIDS DISCHARGE PORT, (C) A TENSION ELEMENT REMOVABLY SECURED TO THE CONVEYOR AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE CENTRAL OPENING IN THE SAID ONE END WALL, (D) MEANS TO SUPPLY FEED MIXTURE TO THE INTERIOR OF THE ROTOR, (E) MEANS TO PROVIDE THE ROTOR AND THE CONVEYOR AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS INCLUDING A DRIVE SHAFT ON THE ROTOR AND SURROUNDING THE TENSION ELEMENT AND PRESENTING A SHOULDER FACING AWAY FROM THE ROTOR, (F) ENLARGED MEANS ON THE TENSION ELEMENT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE SHOULDER FROM THE ROTOR, THE SHOULDER AND THE ENLARGED MEANS BEING AXIALLY SPACED AND THE ENLARGED MEANS PRESENTING A SECOND SHOULDER GENERALLY FACING THE FIRST-MENTIONED SHOULDER, AND (G) THRUST BEARING MEANS HAVING FREELY ROLLING ELEMENTS AND DISPOSED IN THE SPACE AND HELD IN AXIAL COMPRESSION BETWEEN THE SHOULDERS, WHEREBY THE FORCES DEVELOPED BETWEEN THE CONVEYOR AND THE ROTOR AS THE CONVEYOR MOVES THE SOLIDS TOWARD THE SOLIDS DISCHARGE PORT APPEAR AS A COMPRESSIVE FORCE ACTING AT THE INNER JUNCTURE INSTEAD OF AS A TENSION FORCE AT THE OUTER JUNCTION.